From Anna

This is one of my most remembered books. I truly loved it and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys children's literature. It's a beautiful story. ( )

Perpetually clumsy and slow Anna and her family emigrate from Germany to Canada on the eve of WWII. Once there, it is discovered by the family doctor that her difficulties are caused by poor vision, and she is outfitted with glasses. Still Anna must work hard to adjust to life in a new country, learn English and to convince her lively and athletic older siblings that she is not merely "Awkward Anna" as they have dubbed her. Most of these life lessons are learned at her new school with the help of new friends and a kindly teacher -- Anna is placed in a special education classroom for students needing visual assistance. Although this is a fairly simple and straightforward story, I like how the relationships are realistic and multi-faceted; not only do others learn to treat Anna with more kindness, but Anna herself grows as a person and becomes more willing to give people the benefit of the doubt. Some aspects of the book might need explaining for younger readers -- it's a little unclear, in this age of mainstreaming children with similar challenges, why she is in a special education environment. ( )

Lexile: 570
Reading Recovery: 21
DRA: 28
Fountas Pinnel Guided Reading: M